As an early-season backpack, it's hard to beat Greider Lakes. This lesser known destination seemed to be a well-kept secret. We saw no one on the trail when we made for our campsite on Friday evening. But on Saturday, the hordes of day hikers showed up. It's no Mount Si, or Wallace Falls, but apparently, the secret is out on this one, and with good reason. Two beautiful alpine lakes (Little Greider and Big Greider, naturally) for the price of one, and by price, I mean $0. The parking area is on Snohomish PUD, and no fee is collected here, but be sure to register at the information kiosk at Olney Pass. We saw a patrol officer checking registrations and ticketing those who failed the simple test of putting their license plate number on a piece of paper.
The road is extremely well-maintained, even once the pavement ends. I suspect Snohomish PUD needs this road in good working order. The DNR just cleared all of the season blow-down recently too, so the trail is easily passable, but wear sturdy, mud-proof shoes, because it gets sloppy in some sections, especially where winter damage still noticeable. Take care of slippery roots, bridges, staircase sections, and boardwalks
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